The fact that Cassidy was in the Black Parade bugged me. She was so young. 14 is not the ideal age to die. But she was a good member anyway. She always brought a smile to my face. She was a great singer too. That was something else that bugged me. She was so talented. When she was alive she was an awesome artist, writer and singer. And then she died to waste her afterlife in the Black Parade.
“So… let’s say I do have these ‘special powers,’ Gee.” Cassidy said addressing me, “How do they work?”
“I don’t know.” I replied, “Like I said, I’m making this up as I go along.”
Cassidy sat down on the ground of the old building we were in. I remembered finding this place. We had left the Black Parade because it had seemed as though the plague was taking everyone. We drifted for a while and then finally found a suitable place and turned it into our home.
“But still, you’re suggesting that she has powers. You gotta have some idea.” Ray persisted.
“Well it’s not like superpowers. You know: super strength, speed, flight…eh…maybe flight. Like magic.” I said pacing around the room.
“Magic?” Cassidy asked.
“Yeah. I know it sounds corny but it’s true.” I said.
Cassidy looked thoughtful. She was considering my view. Frank on the other hand…
“Dude this is insane.” He said, “How is this fucking possible?”
“I don’t know! But it fits!”
“Like hell it does!” He said, “You expect Cassidy to defeat the Plague when she was just running from it?”
“Dammit I’m not sure. She was running from death. We did the same thing.”
“Gerard you just expect everything to fit into a comic book. The world’s not like that!”
“Have you looked at this place? This isn’t Earth. This is an afterlife. And I believe that the afterlife is completely different than Earth. If this Black Plague is possible, why isn’t magic?”
I had him there. His glare had let up.
“I guess…” He said.
“So… is there anyone who would know about this magic?” Ray asked trying to break the silence.
“Mother War!” Mikey said with his eyes wide.
“That’s it! Mother War has been here since the beginning. She would know about it!” I said excitedly.
“I thought Mother War was killed by the Plague…” Cassidy said.
“Nope. She went away. She’s on that one mountain right? Er… Poison Mountain?” Frank said. He was actually getting into this. It made me laugh.
“Yeah she’s there. Let’s go… oh wait. Someone check to see if the Plague is still out there.” I said.
“As if.” Cassidy snorted, “It was coming so fast I don’t think it could’ve stopped if it wanted to.”
“Well if you’re so sure, why don’t you check?” Frank teased.
“Okay, I will since you’re so scared.” She taunted right back. She walked down the passage as we followed her. When we got to the end she stuck her head out.
“Coast is clear!” She announced.
We walked out looking around cautiously. When we saw that Cassidy was right we relaxed a little.
“Right there.” Mikey said pointing at a black mountain that was menacing and pointed. “Poison Mountain.”
“So let’s get going!” Cassidy said.
And we did. We walked right towards the mountain. It was a long way there, but we wouldn’t get tired. We were dead. Frank and Cassidy were joking around the whole time and it felt almost like a normal Black Parade march. Almost.
We got to the bottom of the mountain.
“She lives on the top?” Cassidy asked.
“Holy shit.” I whispered.
“Um… is this even safe?” Mikey asked.
“I didn’t even know rock was that color.” Ray commented.
“So… Who wants to go first?” Frank asked.
“You can go first.” Cassidy said pushing him. He stuck his tongue out at her.
“Let’s just go at the same time.” Mikey suggested. We knew better than to argue. Besides, it was the most logical thing to do.
We walked onto the dark stone of the mountain. It was firm rock so I didn’t think we’d have any problems climbing it.
At first the atmosphere was tense. Then Cassidy and Frank were joking again and we were calmed. Then we got to the top.
“So where the hell is she?” Frank asked.
“Look! Over there!” Cassidy said pointing at what looked like an abandoned windmill. The propellers were torn off and there was a slight hole in the roof. We walked over there and inside.
“Hello?” Cassidy said her voice slightly above a whisper.
“Anyone here?” Frank called out, his voice much louder.
Then Mother War glided into the room. She was just as graceful and ragged as before; the gas mask still covered her face.
“Yes?” She said softly.
“Mother War, you’ve been here since like the beginning…” I began.
“Yes.”
“And… we were wondering…” I said wanting to stall, “If…”
“Gerard has a crazy idea that Cassidy here has magic powers that can get rid of the Black Plague.” Frank said still skeptical.
“Ah. Yes.” Mother War began, “The younger a person is the more innocence they have…”
Frank snorted. Cassidy glared at him.
“… and that innocence is converted into ‘magic’ as you call it, once they die.” Mother War continued, “It makes sense that Cassidy would have magic. She’s the youngest in the Black Parade. That would be why the Black Plague hasn’t tried to kill her yet. She could stop him and he knows it.”
“But he tried to kill me earlier today!” Cassidy protested.
“He didn’t pursue it. He wasn’t really trying. As I was saying before, he’s killed everyone else because he’s been gaining power from it.”
“He didn’t kill you. He hasn’t killed us but he killed Bob. What’s up with that?” I stated.
“I do not know. I’m not sure if he can kill me, for as long as there is war, I am here. Bob is dead proof that he can kill you but I do not know why he has not.” Mother War said.
“That’s so weird.” Ray commented. Mikey nodded in agreement.
“So can she defeat the Black Plague?” Frank asked.
“More than likely. Yes. She can.” Mother War said looking at Cassidy intensely.
“Thank you so much Mother War.” I said.
“You’re welcome.” She said in her soft voice as she glided away leaving the room. We left the abandoned windmill and sat on some stone a little while away still on the mountain.
“So…” Frank said, “One mystery solved another still out in the open.”
“What’s the new mystery?” Mikey asked.
“Why the hell we’re alive.” Frank said.
“In all technicality we’re dead. This is an afterlife.” Cassidy countered.
“You know what I mean.” Frank glared.
“We can’t dwell on that. We’re here right now and that’s what matters.” I said, “It’s up to us to defeat the Black Plague. We got to. It’s what Bob would want us to do.”
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Teehee. I'm loving writing again. I was having writers block with my Assisted Revenge story and wasn't writing so I was feeling awful. Then I was drawing a picture having to do with the Black Parade and was like oh wait the Black Parade is dead. So I drew a picture (http://fobxmcrxpatd.deviantart.com/art/If-The-Black-Parade-Is-Dead-90776968) about a black smoke-like thing killing off a member of the Black Parade and I got the idea for this. So I wrote the first chapter and the next day I got an email saying that I had a review and that just made my day. So I'm basically feeling so much better than I was.
I don't know if I'm going to switch to Cassidy's point of view again or keep it in Gerard's or mabye try someone else's. I know it'll be Cassidy for the last chapter (or the last one I'm thinking of). So Rate and Review and tell me what you think!